What is it about?
Co-production is supposed to pass control of making policy over to local citizens. Indeed, engaging people who rely on welfare services in decisions about how public and voluntary services are designed and run can make those services more effective. However, after a decade of austerity in the UK and politicians talking about how poverty is linked to personal responsibility, there is little evidence of a shift of power to the people.
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Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Some groups and individuals have been deeply affected by cuts in public services. At the same time public opinion in UK becoming less supportive of people who rely on income benefits. Co-production could help give these people a voice and help them feel more included in UK society but it is failing to do so because it is not being adopted routinely by people in power.
Perspectives
I would like to challenge the current political ideas about people living in poverty - highlighting that poverty is not a choice but an aspect of an imperfect economic and political system. Therefore, in my opinion, c o-production needs to get political by making sure that people who are living in poverty- or any other aspect of disadvantage - have a greater say in the way welfare services are funded, designed and delivered.
Jane Booth
University of Wolverhampton
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Empowering Disadvantaged Communities in the UK: Missing the Potential of Co-production, Social Change, June 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0049085719832401.
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